Bulacan to build oxygen plant to meet growing demand amid virus surge

Oxygen cylinders are delivered in Bulacan Medical Center and Bulacan Infection Control Center, which consume over 1,000 cylinders daily. (Photo courtesy of Bulacan Provincial Public Affairs Office)

CITY OF MALOLOS—Bulacan province will build an oxygen plant that will cost P100 million to meet the demand of its major COVID-19 treatment facilities amid the surge in COVID-19 cases, an official said Thursday, Aug. 19.

Gov. Daniel Fernando said plans were underway for the construction of the plant in a 700-square meter site inside the Bulacan Medical Center (BMC) compound in this city.

In an interview, Fernando said they target to start operating the plant by the end of the year or early next year.

Dr. Hjordis Marushka Celis, Bulacan COVID-19 Task Force vice-chair, said the BMC and the Bulacan Infection Control Center (BICC) consume more than 1,000 oxygen cylinders a day compared to only 120 a day before the pandemic.

“We really need more oxygen supply in BICC-BMC. At this time, we only rely on one supplier and re-filler,” Celis said.

Once operational, the oxygen plant could produce about 450 cylinders a day, she said.

Bulacan has 2,870 active COVID-19 cases out of 51,136 infections since last year. It also recorded 1,058 deaths related to the disease.